Meeting Abstract
When feeding aquatically, salamanders often rely on suction to capture prey; however, in terrestrial habitats jaw prehension and tongue protraction are more common. During suction feeding rapid depression of the hyobranchial apparatus expands the buccal cavity, drawing water and prey into the mouth. Salamandrids exhibit a wide range of hyobranchial apparatus morphologies, regarding robustness and ossification, and utilize a variety of feeding modes in different habitats. Because of morphological differences of the hyobranchial apparatus among species, as well as opposing functions of the tongue skeleton in hyobranchial depression versus tongue projection, we hypothesized that performance trade-offs occur during feeding. We predicted the presence of a robust hyobranchial apparatus, as in Paramesotriton labiatus may result in increased performance during aquatic feeding. High-speed imaging and kinematic analyses determined that P. labiatus and Notophthalmus viridescens suction fed aquatically, but differ in prey capture mode while feeding terrestrially. Kinematic analyses also revealed that feeding performance differs among species in terms of maximal hyobranchial depression and velocity of maximal hyobranchial depression. Generally, we found support for functional trade-offs during feeding of salamandrid salamanders.
